Rice is the world's largest food crop, and its yield and quality are directly related to food security and human health. Grain size, as one of the important factors determining the rice yield, has been widely concerned by breeders and researchers for a long time. To decipher the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size, we obtained a multi-tiller, dwarf, and small-grain mutant htd1 by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutation from the Japonica rice cultivar 'Zhonghua 11' ('ZH11'). Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype of htd1 was controlled by a single recessive gene. Using the mutation site map (Mutmap) method, we identified the candidate gene OsHTD1, which encoded a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of strigolactone (SL). The SL content in htd1 was significantly lower than that in 'ZH11'. Cytological analysis showed that the grain size of the mutant decreased due to the reductions in the length and width of glume cells. The function of htd1 was further verified by the CRISPR/cas9 gene editing technology. The plants with the gene knockout exhibited similar grain size to the mutant. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that the expression levels of multiple grain size-related genes in the mutant changed significantly, suggesting that HTD1 may interact with other genes regulating grain size. This study provides a new theoretical basis for research on the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size and potential genetic resources for breeding the rice cultivars with high yields.
Oryza/growth & development* ; Mutation ; Edible Grain/growth & development* ; Alleles ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Dioxygenases/genetics* ; Lactones/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Phenotype

Iron (Fe) deficiency and excess cadmium (Cd) in rice grain are important problems to be solved in agricultural production. Previous studies have shown that OsVIT1 and OsVIT2 are vacuolar iron transporters. In this study, wild-type ZH11 was selected as the background material and OsVIT1 and OsVIT2 were overexpressed in endosperm by using endosperm specific promoter Glb-1. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of OsVIT1 and OsVIT2 overexpression on Fe and Cd accumulation in different parts of rice. The results showed that OsVIT1 overexpression in endosperm significantly reduced Fe content in grain by about 50%, while significantly increased zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) contents in straw and Cu content in grain. OsVIT2 overexpression in endosperm significantly decreased Fe and Cd contents in grain by about 50%, and significantly increased Fe content in straw by 45%-120%. Overexpression of OsVIT1 and OsVIT2 in endosperm did not affect the agronomic traits of rice. In conclusion, OsVIT1 and OsVIT2 overexpression in endosperm reduced Fe accumulation in rice grain, which did not achieve the expected effect. OsVIT2 overexpression in endosperm also decreased Cd accumulation in grain and increased Fe accumulation in straw, which provided reference for iron biofortification and cadmium reduction in rice.
Cadmium ; Endosperm/chemistry* ; Oryza/genetics* ; Iron ; Zinc ; Edible Grain ; Soil Pollutants

The zearalenone hydrolase (ZHD101) derived from Clonostachys rosea can effectively degrade the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) present in grain by-products and feed. However, the low thermal stability of ZHD101 hampers its applications. High throughput screening of variants using spectrophotometer is challenging because the reaction of hydrolyzing ZEN does not change absorbance. In this study, we used ZHD101 as a model enzyme to perform computation-aided design followed by experimental verification. By comparing the molecular dynamics simulation trajectories of ZHD101 at different temperatures, 32 flexible sites were selected. 608 saturated mutations were introduced into the 32 flexible sites virtually, from which 12 virtual mutants were screened according to the position specific score and enzyme conformation free energy calculation. Three of the mutants N156F, S194T and T259F showed an increase in thermal melting temperature (ΔTm>4 °C), and their enzyme activities were similar to or even higher than that of the wild type (relative enzyme activity 95.8%, 131.6% and 169.0%, respectively). Molecular dynamics simulation analysis showed that the possible mechanisms leading to the improved thermal stability were NH-π force, salt bridge rearrangement, and hole filling on the molecular surface. The three mutants were combined iteratively, and the combination of N156F/S194T showed the highest thermal stability (ΔTm=6.7 °C). This work demonstrated the feasibility of engineering the flexible region to improve enzyme performance by combining virtual computational mutations with experimental verification.
Computer-Aided Design ; Edible Grain ; Enzyme Stability ; Hydrolases/metabolism* ; Hypocreales/enzymology* ; Protein Engineering ; Zearalenone

PURPOSE: This study examined the nutrient intake and dietary habits based on breakfast consumption in Korean adolescents. METHODS: The data of the 2013 ~ 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used in this study. The analysis included 1,281 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The subjects were divided into two groups (EBF: eating breakfast, n = 911; SBF: skipping breakfast, n = 370). RESULTS: The EBF group was significantly younger than the SBF group. In addition, the EBF group had a significantly lower frequency of skipping dinner than the SBF group. The EBF group consumed significantly higher levels of most nutrients except for vitamin A than the SBF group. The percent of nutrient intake under the EAR (estimated average requirements) in the EBF group were also significantly lower than that in the SBF group. Moreover, the NAR (nutrient adequacy ratio) and MAR (mean adequacy ratio) of the EBF group were significantly higher than those of the SBP group. The intake of cereal, sugars and sweeteners, vegetables, and eggs in the EBF group was significantly higher than that in the SBF group. CONCLUSION: The habit of skipping breakfast in adolescents leads to a decrease in the total nutrient intake and imbalanced dietary habits. Breakfast consumption in adolescence is very important. Therefore, more studies will be needed to develop nutrition education systematically in Korean adolescents.
Adolescent ; Breakfast ; Carbohydrates ; Ear ; Eating ; Edible Grain ; Education ; Eggs ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Korea ; Meals ; Nutrition Surveys ; Ovum ; Sweetening Agents ; Vegetables ; Vitamin A

PURPOSE: This study examined the prevalence of food allergies and allergenic factors in a selected sample of children living in Seoul, Korea, along with their dietary habits, environmental factors, and diseases as risk factors for food allergy. The results of this study will provide basic data for addressing food allergies.METHODS: We selected 3,004 pre-school and school-age children, aged 0 ~ 12, in the 25 districts of Seoul as the study sample. Structured self-report questionnaires were administered over a two-month period in July-August 2018, and the children's parents recorded the answers on their children's behalf. The research tools in this study included the Korean version of the questionnaire from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC).RESULTS: The physician-diagnosed prevalence rate of food allergies was 14.2%, while 20.4% of the children experienced allergic symptoms at least once and 17.4% reported symptoms within the previous 12 months. The children's symptoms included skin problems (88.1%), gastrointestinal issues (19.2%), oral issues (16.7%), respiratory issues (12.7%), and systemic issues (1.3%). The causes of allergies included eggs, peaches, milk, peanuts, and shrimps. The factors influencing the experience of food allergies were the consumption of cereal (aOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.09 ~ 2.10; p = 0.013), potatoes (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.33 ~ 2.65; p < 0.001), and fast food (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.10 ~ 2.72; p = 0.017). Having food allergy symptoms was associated with a higher risk of experiencing asthma (aOR, 4.22 95% CI, 3.10 ~ 5.76; p < 0.001), allergic rhinitis (aOR, 2.53; 95% CI, 2.03 ~ 3.15; p < 0.001), and atopic dermatitis symptoms (aOR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.88 ~ 4.40; p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Episodes of food allergies warrant examining regular food consumption and placing dietary restrictions through early diagnosis as these episodes may imply the presence of other allergies. Our findings offer basic insights into the patterns, prevalence and symptoms of children's food allergies in Seoul, and our findings will contribute to identifying effective interventions for food allergies.
Arachis ; Asthma ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Early Diagnosis ; Edible Grain ; Eggs ; Fast Foods ; Food Habits ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Milk ; Ovum ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Prunus persica ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Skin ; Solanum tuberosum

The Great Sebkha of Oran is a closed depression located in northwestern of Algeria. Despite the ranking of this sebkha among the wetlands of global importance by Ramsar Convention in 2002, no studies on the fungal community in this area have been carried out. In our study, samples were collected from two different regions. The first region is characterized by halophilic vegetation and cereal crops and the second by a total absence of vegetation. The isolated strains were identified morphologically then by molecular analysis. The biotechnological interest of the strains was evaluated by testing their ability to grow at different concentration of NaCl and to produce extracellular enzymes (i.e., lipase, amylase, protease, and cellulase) on solid medium. The results showed that the soil of sebkha is alkaline, with the exception of the soil of cereal crops that is neutral, and extremely saline. In this work, the species Gymnoascus halophilus, Trichoderma gamsii, the two phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium brachygibbosum and Penicillium allii, and the teleomorphic form of P. longicatenatum observed for the first time in this species, were isolated for the first time in Algeria. The halotolerance test revealed that the majority of the isolated are halotolerant. Wallemia sp. and two strains of G. halophilus are the only obligate halophilic strains. All strains are capable to secrete at least one of the four tested enzymes. The most interesting species presenting the highest enzymatic index were Aspergillus sp. strain A4, Chaetomium sp. strain H1, P. vinaceum, G. halophilus, Wallemia sp. and Ustilago cynodontis.
Algeria ; Amylases ; Aspergillus ; Chaetomium ; Depression ; Edible Grain ; Fungi ; Fusarium ; Lipase ; Penicillium ; Salt-Tolerance ; Soil ; Trichoderma ; Ustilago ; Wetlands

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the dietary patterns (DPs) of women during pregnancy. The present study aimed to identify the DPs of pregnant Malaysian women and their associations with socio-demographic, obstetric, and anthropometric characteristics. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 737 participants enrolled in Seremban Cohort Study between 2013 and 2015. Food consumption was assessed using a validated 126-food item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) at four time-points, namely, pre-pregnancy and at each trimester (first, second, and third). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify DPs. RESULTS: Three DPs were identified at each time point and designated DP 1–3 (pre-pregnancy), DP 4–6 (first trimester), DP 7–9 (second trimester) and DP 10–12 (third trimester). DP 1, 4, and 7 appeared to be more prudent diets, characterized by higher intakes of nuts, seeds & legumes, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, eggs, fruits, and milk & dairy products. DP 2, 5, 8, and 11 had greater loadings of condiments & spices, sugar, spreads & creamer, though DP 2 had additional sweet foods, DP 5 and 8 had additional oils & fats, and DP 11 had additional tea & coffee, respectively. DP 3 and 6 were characterized by high protein (poultry, meat, processed, dairy, eggs, and fish), sugars (mainly as beverages and sweet foods), and energy (bread, cereal & cereal products, rice, noodles & pasta) intakes. DP 9 had additional fruits. However, DP 12 had greater loadings of energy foods (bread, cereal & cereal products, rice, noodles & pasta), sugars (mainly as beverages, and sweet foods), and good protein sources (eggs, nuts, seeds & legumes). Malays were more likely to have lower adherence (LA) for DP 1 and 10 than non-Malays. DP 2, 8, and 11 were more prevalent among Malays than non-Malays. Women with a higher education were more likely to have LA for DP 10, and women with a greater waist circumference at first prenatal visit were more likely to show LA for DP 11. CONCLUSIONS: DPs observed in the present study were substantially different from those reported in Western populations. Information concerning associations between ethnicity, waist circumference and education with specific DPs before and throughout pregnancy could facilitate efforts to promote healthy dietary behavior and the overall health and well-being of pregnant women.
Beverages ; Carbohydrates ; Coffee ; Cohort Studies ; Condiments ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Edible Grain ; Education ; Eggs ; Fabaceae ; Fats ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Meat ; Milk ; Nuts ; Oils ; Ovum ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Principal Component Analysis ; Prospective Studies ; Spices ; Tea ; Vegetables ; Waist Circumference

PURPOSE: The consumption of processed foods has recently been increasing due to changes in the living environment. The purpose of this study was to identify the contribution of processed food to the nutrient intake of adult Koreans. METHODS: A total of 15,760 adult people in the 6(th) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013 ~ 2015) were included in this study. According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration's classification criteria for processed foods, the 24 hour dietary recall data of the subjects were classified as processed food or natural food. The processed food intake, nutrient intake and major processed food sources by food groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Men consumed more processed foods than did the women. Consumption of processed foods decreased with age, but it increased with the education level and the income level. The total daily processed food intake accounted for 68.1% of the total food intake. The food groups with high processed food intake were beverage, vegetables, cereals and grain products, fruits, and milk and dairy products in this order. The top food source of each food groups were beer, kimchi, bread, processed apple products, and milk. After adjusting for age, gender, and energy intake, all the nutrient intakes and percentage of dietary reference intakes for Koreans, except carbohydrates, were significantly higher in processed foods than in natural foods. The sodium intake from the processed food was 96.3% of total daily sodium intake. The intakes of nutrients from processed foods, excluding vitamins C, dietary fiber, iron, and vitamin A, were higher in men than in women. The intake of sodium from processed foods was highest for people of 30 ~ 49 years of age, and the intake of sodium from processed foods decreased for people over 50. CONCLUSION: Korean adults consumed more processed food than the natural food, consuming more calories and most of the nutrients from the processed food overall total daily intakes. The intake of processed foods is expected to further increase in the future, and nutritional education and research on the ingestion and selection of healthy processed foods are necessary.
Adult ; Beer ; Beverages ; Bread ; Carbohydrates ; Classification ; Dairy Products ; Dietary Fiber ; Eating ; Edible Grain ; Education ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Fruit ; Humans ; Iron ; Korea ; Male ; Milk ; Nutrition Surveys ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Sodium ; Vegetables ; Vitamin A ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Urbanization and lifestyle changes have resulted in nutrition transition. Over-nutrition causes obesity increase, although malnutrition still exists. This phenomenon is called a double burden of malnutrition (DBM). This study was conducted to confirm the existence of DBM and to investigate the dietary factors related to DBM in Indonesian adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data for the subjects (51 men and 89 women) who are the adults resided in Malang, Indonesia were collected between July 17 and August 14, 2017, by using questionnaire. Height, weight, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, and hemoglobin were also measured for the subjects. RESULTS: The average age of the subjects was 47.2 years. The average height, weight, and body mass index for men were 160.08 cm, 62.6 kg and 25.45 kg/m², respectively, and those for women were 148.74 cm, 58.09 kg, and 26.21 kg/m², respectively. Of the subjects, 3.6% were underweight, 24.3% were normal or healthy weight, while 72.2% were overweight and obese. Analysis of the dietary intakes revealed high for cereal (7.73 points), but very low for milk (0.25 points) and fruits (0.51 points). Dietary diversity was very few overall (< 5). The occurrence of both anemia (23.6%) and chronic diseases such as hypertension (57.1%), diabetes (12.1%), and hypercholesterolemia (3.6%) was considerably high. The existence of DBM was confirmed by 16.4% of the subjects. DBM was observed significantly higher in women than in men. Dietary diversity and DBM occurrence were inversely correlated. On average, the number of chronic diseases was 1.08 in men and 1.79 in women. Dietary diversity inversely affected systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: DBM existed in adults in Malang, Indonesia due to inadequate dietary intakes, and a high rate of chronic diseases.
Adult* ; Anemia ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease ; Diet ; Edible Grain ; Female ; Fruit ; Hip ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Indonesia* ; Life Style ; Male ; Malnutrition* ; Milk ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Thinness ; Urbanization

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the cereal intake status and explore its relationship with the nutritional status of the Korean adults from 2013 ~ 2016, Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: We analyzed dData from the combined 2013 ~ 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The analysis included 12,199 adults aged from 19 to 64 years (male, n = 5,127, female, n = 7,072). In this study, according to cereal intake frequency (From food frequency questionnaire), we classified tThe subjects were classified according into the “non-cereal intake (NCI)” group (male, n = 4,290, female, n = 5,578), and “cereal intake (CI)” group (male, n = 837, female, n = 1,494) according to cereal intake frequency (From food frequency questionnaire). RESULTS: Typically, 79.6% of adults did not consume cereals (male 81.6%, female 77.3%);, 13.4% consumed cereals 1–3 times a month (male 12.2%, female 14.8%) and 7.1% consumed cereals more than once a week (male 6.2%, female 7.9%). In the case of both males and females, the nutrient density (nutrient intake per 1,000 kcal) and Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) of protein, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, and vitamin C in the Non-Cereal group were significantly lower than those of the CI group (respectively, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our These results reveal highlight the low frequency of cereal intake in Korean adults and the better nutritional status in adults who consume cereals. It is hypothesized that tThe data of the present study would is expected to serve as basic data to improve the nutritional status of Korean adults.
Adult* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Calcium ; Edible Grain* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Niacin ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Nutritional Status* ; Nutritive Value ; Potassium ; Riboflavin ; Thiamine ; Vitamin A